Aug. 20, 2009

2009 Outlook | Forwards | Midfield | Backline & Keepers

Click Here To Listen To Coach Gabarra Preview the '09 season on TopDrawerSoccer.com

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's soccer team will kick off its 2009 campaign on the road against the University of South Carolina-Upstate this Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. The Mids will travel to Florence, S.C. to take on Francis Marion on Sunday before opening their home slate next weekend against Fairleigh Dickinson on Wed., Sept. 8.

Scouting South Carolina-Upstate
*This is the third season for USC Upstate at the Division I level. The Spartans, members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, finished the 2008 season with a 3-16-0 record and a 1-9-0 mark in league play.

*Upstate returns four starters and five letterwinners from last year's squad, while welcoming 12 newcomers (including six international players).

*Head coach Kendall Reyes is in his 10th season at the helm of the Spartans program where he has compiled a 69-85-13 record.

*This is the first meeting between the two programs.

Fast Facts on USC Upstate

Location:			Spartanburg, S.C.
Founded:			1967
Enrollment:			5,000
Nickname:			Spartans
School Colors:			Dark Green, White & Black
Home Field:			County University Soccer Stadium
Conference:			Atlantic Sun
First Year of Women's Soccer:	2000 (First Year at DI: 2007)

Scouting Francis Marion
*After a very successful run at the Division II level, this fall marks the third season for FMU as a full-fledged NCAA Division I member.

*The Patriots lose only two seniors and return eight starters from last year's 6-12-1 squad, which ended 2008 on a 6-2-0 run, including victories in each of its final four games. The Patriots were at their best on their home turf, producing a 5-2-1 home mark.

*Joel Person takes over the coaching reins of the Francis Marion program in 2009. Person succeeds Marty Beall, who left the program to take the head coaching job with High Point University.

*Navy won the inaugural meeting between the two programs a year ago, taking a 3-0 decision on Sept. 26 in Annapolis. That game featured a scoreless first half, a 62-minute lightning delay and three second-half goals by the Mids, including a goal and assist from current senior Brittany White (Carmel, Ind.). Anastasia Abid (Williamsburg, Va.) and Amanda Serfass (Fort Worth, Texas) both added late tallies late in the contest.

*What's in a name?
The university was named after American Revolutionary War hero Brigadier General Francis Marion, nicknamed "The Swamp Fox".

Fast Facts on Francis Marion

Location:			Florence, S.C.
Founded:			1970
Enrollment:			4,019
Nickname:			Patriots
School Colors:			Red, White & Blue
Home Field:			FMU Soccer Field
Conference:			Independent
First Year of Women's Soccer:	1995 (First Year at DI: 2007)

Guide to Following This Weekend's Action
Live stats will be available for Friday's game against USC Upstate through GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.) Fans can also watch a live online broadcast of the match at atlanticsun.org for a one-time fee of $5.99.

GameTracker - Navy/USC Upstate |A-Sun.TV

For Sunday afternoon's match against Francis Marion, the first place to learn the final result will be on the official Navy Athletics Twitter page. Learn more about how to follow Navy on Twitter at: Navy on Twitter | Navy Guide to Multimedia

Mids at a Glance
Navy brings back a solid contingent, including six starters and three of their top four scorers from a2008 squad that went 15-4-3 and finished unbeaten in league play. Led by two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio), three starters return from the conference's stingiest defensive unit. Senior team captain Beth Reed (Indianapolis, Ind.) takes over for two-time league keeper of the year, as the Mids No. 1 netminder.

Midshipmen Season Openers
The Midshipmen own a 9-6-1 all-time record in season-opening contests, including a 5-1-1 mark since the 2002 season.

It's Here...Already
If it seems as if the start of the athletic season is starting earlier and earlier each year, there is good reason: it is. The Aug. 21 start date marks the earliest opener in program history. A year ago, the Mids' 2008 opener, a 3-0 shutout victory over Vermont, fell on Aug. 23 - the earliest previous start for Navy.

Moeller, Mids Tabbed as League's Best in Preseason Poll
Senior standout Shelly Moeller has been named the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and the Navy women's soccer program was selected as the favorite to capture its third league crown in four years according to the 2009 Patriot League Preseason Women's Soccer Poll released this week.

The Midshipmen were the recipients of six first-place votes and 90 total points in a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Thanks to its strong returning contingent, Colgate earned seven first-place nods and was picked second with 83 points, while Bucknell (76 pts.; 3 first pl.) and Army (61 pts.) rounded out the top-four.

Coaching's Elite
Navy head coach Carin Gabarra enters her 17th year at the helm of the Academy's women's soccer program. She enters 2009 with a 201-93-25 (.669) mark at Navy and a 207-103-25 (.655) overall record.

On Gabarra
* One of 27 active head coaches with 200 or more victories * Ranks 33rd all-time among head coaches (Min. 10 years) with a .655 winning percentage * Ranks 34th nationally among active head coaches (Min. 5 years) with 207 career wins

A Tradition of Success
The Navy women's soccer program has surpassed the double-figure winning seasons in 14-straight years dating back to 1998. There are currently 321 Division I soccer teams and only 10 have won 10 or more games over this span.

Teams with Consecutive 10-Win Seasons (1995-2008)

Rk.	Team		Total Wins
 1.	North Carolina	322
 2.	Notre Dame	298
 3.	Penn State	260
 4. 	Portland	257
 5.	UCLA		255
 6.	Texas A&M	251
 7.	Florida		247
 8.	Stanford	199
 9.	Virginia	194
 10.	Navy		192

*Over the last three seasons, beginning with a memorable 21-win campaign in 2006, the Mids have produced an overall record of 50-11-8 (.782). The 50 wins are the most over any three-year stretch in school history.

Next Up
The Mids return to Annapolis next weekend where they will host a pair of first-time opponents during the 10th annual Navy Soccer Invitational at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, where Navy has posted a 33-4-3 (.862) mark over the last three seasons.

Navy, Boise State, Fairleigh Dickinson and Rider will be featured over the two-day, four-game showcase. The Mids will host FDU on Friday at 7 p.m. looking to win their 15th consecutive home opener, before battling a strong Boise State side on Sunday at noon.

## GO NAVY! ##